Names are a Powerful Thing
by Beanstalk
Summary: "What's your name?" she inquired as her hands worked busily. Opening his mouth to respond, he frowned suddenly. "I... I... don't know."
1. Nameless

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, cause if I did, I would be on tour right about now. **

Darkness, that was all he saw. A heavy, cold, stifling, blackness that enveloped his vision. He could barely hear vague murmurs of a voice from far away. He attempted to sigh deeply, but found he could not bring air into his lungs. Panicking, he began to thrash his limbs around. Those mutters around him turned to jumbled shouts as he felt himself being shaken roughly. Suddenly he could breathe again. Gasping for air, his dark gray, almost black eyes flew open and stared about wildly as he struggled to get his bearings.

"Are you alright son?" an older man to his left asked worriedly. A police cap covered graying brown hair. Distress lined his face as he spoke again.

"The ambulance will be here soon. Just stay conscious for me alright?"

Ambulance, why would he need an ambulance he wondered? That was when pain shot up his leg and thudded at his ribs.

Where was he? Asphalt, he could feel that underneath him. Was he in the middle of a street?

His head pounded furiously. Groaning softly, he glanced around as much as he could. Fingers pointed, hands were placed over mouths as people watched in horror.

What had happened? He was so confused. If only he could think clearly, if only the pain would go away. Maybe it would if he just closed his eyes...

"Don't do that son," the man's deep voice pierced his thoughts again.

Flinching when the man lay a heavy hand on his shoulder, he could hear sirens cut through the air. There was a car just in front of him. Eyes widening, he realized that the front was glistening.

Blood, his blood was splattered across the front of the car. Somehow thinking rationally, he knew that the sheer amount of blood was too much unless he had already been wounded before the accident...

Tramping feet came up beside him and lay a stretcher down.

"You will be alright child." there was that old man again. He kept calling him son, was that man his father? So many questions, what happened to all the answers?

"One, two, three." pain racked his body as he was lifted onto the stretcher. He slipped into unconsciousness.

Warmth, that was his first feeling. Soft cotton sheets covered him while his head rested on a thin pillow. Shifting slowly, he swiveled his head as much as he could to take stock of where he was. A small prickling feeling tugged at his arm. Slowly, he looked down at the limb. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Just a needle, nothing to be worried about, although he was racking his brain as to why he was worried in the first place. Suddenly, a curtain was swept to the side revealing a nurse in in blue scrubs.

"Oh, you're awake! You've been out for an entire day. It is just about noon. How are you feeling?" the woman seemed friendly enough, but he couldn't help but wonder why he didn't trust her. She was a _nurse_ after all.

"I'm..not sure..." his tongue felt leaden in his mouth. Guardedly, he watched as she checked his vitals on the monitors.

"What's your name?" she inquired as her hands worked busily.

Opening his mouth to respond, he frowned suddenly.

"I... I... don't know." the nurse's hands stopped fluttering around him. He racked his mind furiously. There had to be an answer somewhere. Everyone has a name, but where was his?

"Let me get the doctor. I'll be right back, okay?"

Nodding dumbly, he watched as she turned away and left.

The moment the curtain slid back into place, he slid out the needles and flung off the sheets.

Great, they had donned him in a hospital gown. Swinging his legs to hang on the side of the bed, he winced and held his side. Fingers touching the fabric of the gown lightly, he could feel a bandage wrapped around his middle. Grunting, he stepped onto the cold hard floor. Shifting his weight from from one foot to the other, he adjusted to the chilly temperature. Stealthily, he moved to the curtain and silently pulled it back slightly. There was a nurse with her back to him, but she was near the door. While he glanced around the room searching for a distraction, he wondered why he was trying to escape.

Right across from him was what looked like a trolley. He padded slowly toward it. Turning it in the direction he wanted it to go, he shoved as hard as he could then sprinted awkwardly and painfully back behind his curtain. He listened to the woman's shout of surprise and her heavy footfalls as she ran past him. Stepping out, he moved quickly to the door. He opened it quietly and peeked around it. The coast was clear.

He began to walk forward with a limp.

"And just where do you think you're going, honey?"

A raspy voice came from behind him.

Whirling around, his eyes widened at the sight of a leathery hag hunched over and grinning evilly.

"I have been searching for you for a very long time boy." the hag continued.

"And now that I have found you, there is no escape." she stalked forward slowly, talons on her feet clicking against the tile.

"No weapons, no energy, and nowhere to run boy. You are mine!" With these last words she flung herself into the air, teeth bared and claws outstretched.

"Duck!" a voice rang out through the air.

The boy threw himself to the ground, crying out when he landed, jarring his side. The hag yelped as an arrow pierced her shoulder. Struggling to his feet, the boy moved backwards. Claws gripped the arrow and pulled it out. The boy grimaced and moved back faster.

"Ah, two more half-bloods. I will feast well today!" She shouted triumphantly.

"Now that's a bit cocky isn't it?" the condescending voice of a girl emanated from behind him.

"After all, I am an expert shot." The boy could hear the smirk in her voice.

The hag launched herself over him, pulling a fiery whip from mid air, yowling in hatred. Suddenly there was a sickening thud, a squeal, and all was silent. Twisting around, he was just in time to see the hag staring down in surprise at the arrow that protruded from her heart, then slowly disintegrated into dust. The arrow clattered on to the ground while he struggled to get to his feet.

"Let me help you up." The boy looked up to see a teen boy's concerned face.

He gave him a strong hand. Slowly grasping it in his right hand, he pushed with his right, and stood painfully.

"What's your name?" The girl asked.

He frowned again.

"I...Don't know." He really was using those words a lot.

He looked closely at the girl. Blond hair braided back, had let loose a few strands of hair. Bright blue eyes glinted with adrenaline. Slung across her shoulder, was a recurved bow. Strapped to her back was a quiver of arrows.

"What do you mean you don't know? Everyone knows their name!" the boy to his right protested. Clearly he wasn't all that bright.

"I had an accident. I must have hit my head." he reached up unconsciously and rubbed the back of his head gingerly.

"That's not what worries me right now. The Kindly one was searching for you, which means that there may be more monsters coming." she glanced behind her cautiously.

"We have to get back to Chris. He'll know what to do." she gazed at him, quickly. "And we should get you some clothes and shoes. Jason, do you have anything that would fit him in your backpack?"

Jason slung off his pack and began to rummage inside it.

"Here, try these on for size." he shoved the articles of clothing at the the other boy.

He stood there awkwardly, his eyes flickering to the girl.

"Oh..." she blushed and turned around.

Quickly, he tugged at the string of the hospital gown, untying it, and shrugged off the garment. He pulled on the jeans with some difficulty. While they were baggy, they didn't slip down awkwardly. Fumbling with the t-shirt, he tried to pull it over his head, but grunted with pain as the movement strained his side.

"What's wrong?" the girl had turned around.

"I can't get the shirt on." he muttered, embarrassed.

"Jason, help him, and hurry! More monsters could be on their way right now!"

Jason fumbled with the shirt and helped slide it on.

"Kayla, we're good, now let's go!" there was a clear sense of urgency in his voice. They started forward, Jason, and Kayla continually glancing left and right.

"Please, would someone tell me what just happened?" he pleaded in a hushed tone.

Jason furrowed his eyebrows, clearly thinking of a way to explain.

"Do you remember the Greek myths?"

He racked his brain for a minute, trying to recall it. Finally he nodded.

"Well, the gods, the monsters, they're real." Jason let that sink in for a second.

"But they're myths!"

Kayla shook her head and replied, "No, they aren't, and be careful about saying that. Some gods aren't very forgiving."

"Alright, then who are you?" his black hair fell into his eyes slightly as he bent his head with the pain.

"I'm Kayla Thompson, daughter of Apollo. This is Jason Smith, son of Demeter."

The boy limped along, absorbing that information.

"If you are the child of a god, then does that make you a-"

"A demigod? Why, yes it does."

"But-" He started.

"Shut up!" Jason hissed. He listened quietly, then motioned them to go down a hall way to the right. They passed a few people, nurses and doctors, but none of them gave them a second glance.

"Why haven't they stopped us yet?" he asked.

"Because of the Mist." Jason answered like it was obvious.

"Right," he muttered, "that clears it all up."

He noticed a small grin on Kayla's face.

Continuing to walk, he could feel the pain medications beginning to wear off. Harshly biting his lip, his face screwed up against the shooting sensations along his leg and side. Rapidly, his breath became labored. Kayla slipped her arm under him, giving him her shoulder for support.

She whispered in his ear, "We're almost there. Chris is right outside the hospital."

They crossed into the lobby.

"Stop, you three there, stop!" boomed a tall man taking long strides toward them.

"Did you really think you could fool us? That poor boy just had an accident, he needs medical attention!"

He grabbed his radio and was about to speak into it, when Jason snapped his fingers. There was a sudden rush of wind, as he spoke. "He is not a patient. We were just coming to visit a friend."

The ex-patient widened his eyes as the man slowly nodded and moved out of the way. Jason barely suppressed a grin, as they exited out of the doors.

Harsh, cold, biting winds nipped at his bare arms. The freezing cement forced him to hop from one leg to another. His side began to throb, as he breathed heavily.

A loud shout caught their attention. "Kayla, Jason, over here!"

Jason sighed with relief. "There's Chris, he'll know what to do."

A Hispanic boy jogged to them. Dark brown eyes gave them a once over then fixed on the ex-patient.

"Who is this?" he inquired with a slight Spanish accent.

Kayla hesitated. "This is, um, a um, guy we ran into while we were in the hospital. He was being attacked by a Kindly one. We couldn't just leave him!" She clenched her fists stubbornly, defending her choice.

Chris turned to Jason. "And you didn't stop her?"

Jason stood straighter. "No, it was the right thing to do."

Chris nodded his head a couple times. "Yes, yes it was. However, we haven't finished our quest and we need to return with what was lost by sundown. All the clues led to this hospital that is now about to be swarmed with monsters!"

Gripping his side tightly, the boy straightened himself to his full height. "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but- ouch!- could we speed this up?"

Quickly, Kayla wrapped her arm around him again and glared at Chris. "Why don't we grab a taxi and figure this out somewhere warm. We still have a few hours 'till sunset." she gestured to the dark haired guy she was supporting. "He's hurt and needs to rest."

While she was talking, Jason darted to the street and hailed a taxi. Chris ducked his head, trying to suppress a smile.

"Alright, let's do it." Kayla helped the boy to the taxi. Wincing as he slid inside, he scooted to the far side to let the others scramble in.

Now that he had the time, he regarded each of them carefully.

Chris was obviously the leader. Clearly Hispanic as he had noted earlier and appeared to be 17 or 18. He was a large guy. Guessing to himself, 6'2" seemed to be the right answer. The guy was seriously packing a lot of muscle. The ex-patient noticed that he had sharp, angular features. He wondered if that was relevant at all.

Jason was Caucasian and lithe. At 5'9" he wasn't as tall as Chris, but he was getting there. He looked to be around 16.

He was just about to scrutinize Kayla when they began talking.

"Alright, let's review." Chris' deep voice began.

"**A child rescued from madness, a runner made thief, and an archer,"**

Jason interrupted him. "That would be you, me and Kayla."

Chris rolled his eyes. "No duh Sherlock. Now as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted:

"**A child rescued from madness, a runner made thief, and an archer,**

**Must search on the island of steel not far,**

**For a Royal to change the tide of coming war.**

**But beware, the royal is lost for a reason,**

**A choice made by others, but was willingly agreed to.**

**So search in the place of healing,**

**For a Royal that has lost more than just princely meaning."**

This sobered them for a moment.

"The island of steel is New York." Kayla thought aloud.

"And what ever we are searching for is clearly going to help in a war." Jason put in.

"Hold on, what war?" The ex-patient cried. They ignored him.

Chris continued, "Other people forced it to go into hiding, but it agreed."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "How powerful is this thing to have a mind of it's own?"

Kayla shook her head, her blond braid turning with her. "We had to go to a hospital in search for what sounds like a coin that has lost it's value and it turns out to have a mind?"

Confused, they mulled over what sounded queerly like a prophesy to the ex-patient.

"Did you guys ever consider that it might be a person?" he inquired softly.

Three heads turned to stare at him slightly slack jawed.

"I'll take that as a no." turning to stare out the window, he listened as they whispered fiercely among themselves.

Suddenly Chris knocked on the glass separator with his knuckle. Sliding it back, he spoke quietly to the man. "New destination, Delphi Strawberry Service."

"Whatever kid." returned the driver.

Three heads turned again to look at the ex-patient. He laughed nervously. "Why are we going there?"

The three heads glanced at each other, then at him again.

Kayla spoke for them. "I think we found our 'Royal.'"

The cab pulled to a stop at the bottom of a hill. Chris paid the man and the four of them scrambled out of the taxi. The ex-patient practically groaned at the thought of walking up that. His wound had begun to bleed again and he was feeling faint. Shivering, he remembered that he had neither jacket nor shoes and it was a lot colder than chilly outside. Roughly rubbing his hands up and down his arms, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders. Chris had draped his jacket around him.

"Let's go." Kayla ordered. Painfully, he began his long trip up the hill.

They were almost at the top when he collapsed. His pale face gave a glimpse to his agony. As his chest rose and fell, he whimpered when Kayla placed her hand on his side gently.

While making calming sounds with her mouth, she raised the shirt and winced when she saw the red stains.

"He's lost too much blood. We'll have to carry him. We need to get him to the infirmary as soon as possible."

Chris' mouth became a firm line. "Agreed. Jason, run ahead and tell Chiron we completed our quest, but we have a badly wounded half-blood who needs tending to."

With that, he scooped up the wounded boy and glared at Jason.

"Go!"

Jason darted off like a shot. The other two lumbered up the hill cautiously. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they crossed the camp's border. Moving as fast as they dared, Chris and Kayla made their way to the Big house.

The boy groaned loudly once more then his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Chris cursed, beginning to jog as smoothly as he could. They were so close! Kayla shooed curious campers away as they neared the infirmary. Two Apollo kids met them with a stretcher. Quickly, they placed the boy onto it, and ran smoothly to the infirmary with Chris and Kayla on their heels.

Entering the building, they swiftly placed him onto a bed and began tending to him.

The sickly sweet smell of medicine invaded the wounded boy's senses. Roving his eyes around the room, he caught sight of Kayla. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"You are going to be alright." She turned aside to Jason who had just appeared by her side and was breathing heavily.

"Where's Chiron?"

"Right here" came a deep voice from the door way.

His hair and beard had the same scraggly look to them they did every winter. Smoothly wheeling himself in, he nodded to them.

"You did well, now let me tend to him."

Uncoordinatedly, they moved aside.

Chiron's eyes widened when he saw the patient.

"Quinton Prince? But, how? I thought you were dead!"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! It was rather interesting to do since I couldn't say Quinton's name. Anyway, I'd like you to know that Kayla, Jason, and Chris are all characters in PJO. So I don't own them. I only own Quinton.**


	2. Arrival

The moment Chiron had gotten over his shock, he had snapped his mouth shut and ignored the questions that were shot at him. Sternly, he ordered the three half-bloods out of the infirmary and concentrated on saving Quinton's life.

Weaving their way out of the infirmary, they entered into the Big house. A fire crackled quietly in the fireplace. Kayla shrugged her bow off her shoulders and unstrung it. Removing the quiver, she leaned it and the bow against an arm chair then sunk into it. Chris moved to stand near the fire place while Jason slung his backpack to the ground, laid his sword on the floor and flopped on a sofa.

"Now what?" Jason voiced the question they were all thinking. As Kayla rubbed her eyes tiredly, she responded in frustration, "So we go through all that trouble of saving him, not even knowing his name and now Chiron won't even tell us what he knows about him! What's with that?"

Chris rubbed the back of his head, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"Hey, at least we found him. Anyway, I'm going to find Clarisse. I haven't seen her in a week."

The two gaped at him.

"You're just going to go? You're not even going to stick around and find out who he is?" Jason cried out.

Chris shrugged. "You know Chiron won't let us in until he is sure that Quinton's going to be okay. So what's the point of sticking around? Who knows how long Quinton will be out. In the mean time, I want some quality time with my girlfriend."

He strolled out of the room and out into the camp.

"At least we know how Quinton Prince is 'Royal'" Jason muttered. Kayla grinned weakly. "You know, I think Chris is right. I'm going to catch some shuteye before dinner."

Jason nodded stiffly. He hauled himself off the sofa and scooped up his sword. "Fine, I guess I'll do the same."

Striding over to Kayla, he held out a hand to help her up. He winked at her.

"Although I suggest you take a shower first. You are way overdue for one!"

Quinton felt like his side was on fire. His dark gray eyes flew open when he felt liquid being poured over his side. Burning sensations shot across the wound as he gasped in anguish.

He felt a hand smoothing his hair gently.

"Sh, you'll be alright child. I promise."

Slowly releasing a pent up breath he didn't know he was holding, Quinton let himself close his eyes and allowed the realms of sleep claim him once more.

"Hey, look, he's coming around!"

"Thank the gods, I was getting worried!"

Voices surrounded Quinton as he slowly stirred and blinked tiredly.

People swam into focus. He lifted a hand to rub his eyes but hissed when a twinge of pain emanated from his side. Using the other hand, he felt a bandage around his ribs, and one around his head.

"Wh...Where am I?" he stuttered softly.

A man with a scraggly beard and rather shaggy hair, wheeled himself closer.

"You are in Camp Half-blood. You will be safe here."

When Quinton spoke again, for the first time they heard an accent.

"What happened to me? How do you know me? Why did you bring me here?"

Each question raised a higher sense of urgency in his voice.

The four people glanced at each other. Kayla bit her lip for a moment then began to speak.

"As far as we know, you had an accident that made you forget your name. We brought you here for your own safety. I promise!" the three turned to look at the man in the wheelchair. The man shifted uncomfortably under their gaze.

"I cannot tell you how I know you yet, child. All I can tell you is that your name is Quinton Prince. You were born in Ireland, then moved to England."

Three pairs of eyes swiveled to peer at him.

"He's British? Why didn't we hear the accent before?" Chris asked bewildered.

Chiron stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Perhaps it came back when he began to remember who he is. The knowledge of his name may have set it off. I am not sure, but nevertheless, it is there."

Quinton frowned at this, not sure what to make of it, but he set it aside.

"Look, right now I want to know who the hag was! You kept calling it the Kindly one. Also, you said that the gods were real! What is going on!?" he cried out.

Chris shot a glare at Jason and Kayla.

"You know it's best if everything is explained here."

Jason shrugged while Kayla stuck her hands on her hips and snapped, "Well not everything goes to plan all the time!"

Chiron held up his hand to forestall any further argument.

"Mr. Prince needs his rest, and you need to study for the upcoming Ancient Greek exam."

The three groaned loudly. Moving first, Chris stuck out his hand to say good bye. Jason followed suit and after Quinton had shaken their hands, the two strolled out the door. Kayla lingered for a moment longer. Unknowingly biting her lip, she held out her hand gently.

"I just wanted to properly introduce myself. My name is Kayla Smith, daughter of Apollo."

Grasping her hand softly, he responded quietly, "I'm Quinton Prince." he watched as she smiled faintly at the sound of his name. As she turned to go, he kept a firm grip on her hand.

"I also want to apologize for shouting a few moments ago. It was uncalled for." his accent was getting stronger each time he spoke. She squeezed his hand and nodded then walked away. Quinton turned to look at Chiron.

"So, are you going to explain _anything_ to me?" he inquired and to his own surprise, it came out rather bitterly.

"I'm afraid that I can reveal nothing quite yet. You..." he ran his fingers through his salt an pepper hair.

"Well, you'll see." he continued vaguely. "Just rest."

Chiron wheeled himself around and pushed the chair our of the infirmary.

Exhausted, Quinton lay his head back on the thin pillow while he rubbed his thumb over his right hand. While Kayla had spoken to him, he had finally gotten around to analyzing her.

Beautiful, with her blond hair and bright blue eyes, that one was a no brainer. Dangerous, yet kind and very gentle. She was stubborn, yet ever so slightly unsure of herself. Around average height, he figured that she came to his shoulder when he stood up straight.

Quinton let out a wide yawn. Settling in restlessly, he hoped that he could get out of the bed the next day.

"Chiron, why the long face?"

The centaur rolled his eyes at Dionysus' comment. Sometimes the god could be so insufferable!

"We have an interesting situation." he replied seriously.

"Oh?"

"The half-blood that arrived yesterday, well, his name is Quinton Prince."

The wine god's purple eyes snapped to meet Chiron's. His entire body stiffened.

"You mean that the boy is still alive?" he asked carefully. His eyes regarded Chiron as the centaur nodded.

"However, something happened to him." said Chiron slowly. Mr. D's eyebrows raised.

"He has lost his memory. Apparently, he had an accident and struck his head. As of now, he only knows his name and where he was born. Both only because I told him."

Dionysus shook his head, black curls bouncing slightly. "A lost memory is easily remedied. I could do it with a snap of my fingers"

Closing his eyes, Chiron sighed sadly. "You know that all the gods have strict instructions not to interfere with the boy; no matter what happens."

Dionysus growled softly. "I owe the boy my son's life. As much as I hate to admit it, this is the least I can do."

"No, for now we should alert the rest of the Olympians."

Rubbing his face with his hands, there was a snap in the air, a sudden rush of grape smelling air, and he was gone.

Chiron breathed shakily. Quinton's arrival had shocked him greatly. Who knew how the gods were going to react.

The gods were scattered across Olympus when Dionysus arrived there. Striding quickly down the streets, he mounted the stairs to the throne room. As he expected, his father, Zeus, was there.

"Dionysus, what brings you here?" his low rumbling voice, so much like a thunderstorm, reached the wine god as he moved to his grapevine throne.

"You'll want to summon the others for this." Dionysus warned.

Zeus raised his bushy eyebrows, "Oh? Why?"

"Because Quinton Prince has come to Camp Half-blood."

The lord of the sky's eyes widened in surprise before he quickly recovered himself.

"I will summon a council."

Nodding, Dionysus inquired, "Hades as well?"

Grim silence and a single nod of his head was enough. While his father ordered the other Olympians and Hades to come, he settled back in his own throne to wait. The return of Quinton Prince was causing quite the stir.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed chapter 2! Remember, reviews fuel the story. They keep me inspired to continue writing. I accept suggestions! I love feed back.**


	3. Nightmares

**A/N: Hey, I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am!**

**Disclaimer: I on not own PJO.**

"Enough! Stop arguing. Apollo, stop saying Haikus. Hephaestus, put down that mechanical spider, Athena's twitching. Ares, stop trying to antagonize Hades."

The Olympians ignored him. Rolling his eyes in impatience, he pounded the arm of his throne with his fist. The gods snapped to attention.

"Thank you. Now I have some news that was recently brought to my attention."

"It had better be good. You dragged me out of an important meeting in the Underworld." Hades grumbled.

Zeus shot a stormy glare at him, then continued. "Quinton Prince has come to Camp Half-Blood."

A chorus of gasps and mutters exploded from the thirteen other gods. Hestia had joined in with a quick intake of breath.

"What should we do?" Demeter asked.

"I say we smash him, then we won't have to deal with him any more." Ares proposed.

"That would be ridiculous after what he did for us during World War II." Artemis countered.

"Besides, we may have need of him later. Now that he has come, the prophesy may come to pass." Put in Athena.

"But what if he turns against us again?" Aphrodite cried out.

"As far as we know, that was not voluntary!" Poseidon shot back.

"As far as we know." Hades repeated ominously.

Apollo shook his head. "It may have been a curse that made him do it. He said so as much himself."

"Or he decided that he wanted to try something new." Hera shrugged.

"And then what, decided that it wasn't for him and came back babbling about a curse? He put himself in the Lotus Casino to keep everyone safe from himself." Hephaestus returned gruffly.

Dionysus nodded. "I felt something in his mind connecting him to something dark."

Hermes jumped in. "Can you find out what it is?"

"Maybe, but it is rather murky in the boy's head after spending 60 some years in the casino." Dionysus replied.

"Do your best and keep us updated of his progress." Zeus commanded.

"I don't suppose it's worth mentioning that he also lost his memory in an accident." Dionysus said offhandedly, rather embarrassed that he hadn't mentioned it earlier.

Another clamour rose from the Olympians.

"Enough!" Zeus slammed his fist down again.

"This should be easily remedied should it not?" he asked.

Athena frowned. "It may not be safe to pull all those memories back. Many of them are probably jumbled during his stay in the casino."

Hades agreed. "It may be best to let them return the natural way."

"A vote?" Apollo offered.

"Good idea." Zeus concurred. "All in favour of letting the memories return naturally?"

All the hands went up.

"It is decided. Dionysus, keep us updated of his progress. This meeting is dismissed. However, be prepared to return at a moments notice."

The gods murmured and rose from their thrones to go their separate ways. Dionysus snapped his fingers and disappeared, travelling to the camp.

_Heat stung Quinton's eyes. Swirling thickly, the smoke limited his vision. Loudly, the flames crackled and snapped like hungry wolves. Blowing up a building hadn't been hard. None of the mortals would suspect a thing. It was World War II after all. However, he hadn't known that there were half-bloods from his side in the building. And above all, he hadn't known that _she _was in there. As he stumbled through the haze, only one thought was on his mind. Belle. He had to find her. Turning his head wildly, her name ripped from his throat._

"_Belle!_

_Only the roar of the fire answered him. He howled out again._

"_Belle!"_

_Crippling fear stabbed him in the heart. What if she had been caught in the explosion? Violently he shook his head, dark hair flinging about his face as he did so. He couldn't think that way. She had to be alive, she _had_ to._

_He screamed her name until he went hoarse. The thick fog obscured the building until he tripped over the remains of a door. Staggering inside, he frantically began overturning the wood, her name lingering on his lips. W idly, the fire roared as it moved throughout the building._

_As Quinton was struggling with a particularly large piece of furniture, he heard a soft groan. Whirling around, her name had already sprung to his lips while his gray eyes searched the room._

"_Belle!" he was rewarded with another groan and a soft response of, "Quinn."_

_He leaped over a burning couch to a jumble of wooden beams. Squinting through the smoke, he began lifting the heavy beams. In the back of his mind, he told himself to think practically. With a snap of his fingers, he could make the entire pile disappear._

And then what? _He asked himself. _I won't have the strength to get her out of here.

_Working furiously, he finally removed the last beam. Belle lay there, her golden hair covered in soot and ash. Scooping her up gently in his arms, Quinton moved as fast as he dared through the burning building. He could feel her cough against his chest. The moment he exited the house, he spoke firmly._

"_Ο καπνός διασκορπίζονται." Smoke disperse._

_The air cleared only for him to face one of the sons of Hades. His face was burned on one side and his shirt was torn, revealing scratches the covered his body. Blood seeped through the damaged cloth of his trousers and he was missing his shoes._

"_This is your fault!"he spat viscously at Quinton._

"_Wilhelm." Quinton replied calmly. Well, as calmly as he could sound with his voice hoarse after searching for Belle. Listening to her shallow breathing, he knew he had to get out of there fast._

"_You won't get away with this." Wilhelm hissed._

_Quinton shook his head. "Oh, I rather think I will. You are hurt and have no weapons. I on the contrary have magic."_

_To prove his point, he summoned a crackle of blue electricity that arched around him and Belle._

_The son of Hades laughed madly. "Ja, and I can curse you."_

_Quinton froze. His confident grin sliding away._

"_Curse me." he repeated._

_Wilhem nodded. "And I curse you by the power of my father, Hades."holding up a blade of Stygian Iron, he continued. "This blade now holds your name and whoever holds this sword controls you. This is your curse, to be ruled by the bearer of this sword until you pay for the innocent lives you have taken here along with the guilty!"_

_Quinton felt the rush of a cold wind surround him. Hurriedly, he placed Belle on the ground, and ran as far away from her as he could before the curse caught up with him. It sank into his skin, forcing him to throw his arms wide. Black fog engolphed him, stinging and burning as it entered his body. Screaming in agony, he sank to his knees. And then it was over as if it had never happened._

_Exhausted, he slumped to the ground._

"_Get up." came his first order. Quinton's limbs obeyed without his permission._

_Chuckling, Wilhelm jerked his head towards Belle. "Heal her."_

_Quinton frowned at his command. He was thankful for the opportunity, but he was unsure as to why Wilhelm was allowing him to heal her. Staggering towards her, he cradled her in his arms. Ever so gently, he pressed his lips to hers. Sucking in a deep breath, he removed the smoke from her lungs. Breaking apart, he exhaled, watching the gray air leaving his body. He heard a small intake of breath and glanced down to see Belle's brilliant blue eyes staring up at him._

"_Now kill her."came the next order. Quinton's horrified face intensified as he watched his own hand betray him and reach toward Belle's throat._

"_No!"he howled as he resisted to no avail. His fingers wrapped around her throat and began to squeeze..._

"No!" Quinton woke up in a cold sweat. Tossed on the floor were the bed sheets. Tumbling out of the cot, he stood, quivering. Clumsily, he moved toward the infirmary door. There were other kids there. Some raise their heads quizzically at his movements. Leaning against the door, he breathed heavily. Without warning, the door opened and Quinton tumbled into a pair of strong arms.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Belle, I have to find her. I have to make sure I didn't hurt her!" to be honest with himself, Quinton wasn't sure who Belle was, but he knew he needed to find her.

He felt himself being set upright. Glancing at the person who caught him, he frowned. He felt like the person was important, but he couldn't remember who it was.

Purple eyes stared levelly back at him.

"Who are you?" muttered Quinton.

The man shook his head, black curls bouncing as he did so.

"Not yet. Right now, you need to rest. I promise there will be no more nightmares."

Pushing away from him, Quinton shook his head.

"No, no I have to find Belle. She's hurt. I have to find her" he babbled. The man with the purple eyes steered him back towards the bed. Unresistant, Quinton continued talking, not noticing when the incoherent muttering turned to muffled sobs. Laying back on the bed, Quinton curled up in a ball as the tears streamed down his face.

"Sleep, I promise there will be no nightmares." Quinton felt a hand resting briefly on his brow before his eyelids grew heavy. He fought to stay awake, but his eyes shut and deep breaths racked his body as he began to relax. The man had told the truth, there were no nightmares this time.

Kayla had been unable to sleep that night. Staring into the darkness, she thought of Quinton. Chiron's reaction had scared her a little bit. After all, what was so scary about Quinton. When she had first met him, he had been helpless. Unruly dark brown hair tousled and falling into his dark gray eyes did nothing to allude him to power. Curiosity at how he was faring took over her thoughts. Sighing, she tossed back the covers and got up soundlessly. Briefly, she changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Throwing a sweatshirt over her head, she pulled on socks and her boots.

"Kayla?" a sleepy voice called softly.

She turned to face Will Solace who had lifted up his head slightly to see her. Smiling, she whispered, "I just need to clear my head. I'm going to check on the kid Jason and I brought here. Go back to sleep."

Exhaustion was written on Will's face. He gave up without a fight. Nodding at her, he turned over and she stole out the door.

Taking to the shadows, she did her best to avoid the harpys. Scratched and bruised after a painful trip over a root, Kayla arrived at the infirmary door at the back of the Big House. While glancing over her shoulder, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Her eyes darted to Quintons bed and widened when she realized that he already had a visitor.

Mr. D whipped his head around to see a camper standing at the infirmiry entrance.

"And just what exactly do you think you are doing?" he asked in a dangerously low voice. He watched as she fumbled for words. "I... I was worried... Just wanted to check on him..."

Noticing other wounded campers who were spending the night there were stirring, he strode over to the girl.

"Kelsey-"

"Its Kayla."

"He's fine, now go back to bed before I call the harpys."

The girl bit her lip and looked past him to Quinton's limp form on the bed. Her blue eyes looked back at him. He practically groaned when they took on a hint of steel. She drew herself up to her full height and said in a soft voice, "I am a child of Apollo. I would like to check on a patient."

Mr. D gazed levelly back at her.

"I am a god, and I already checked on the patient." he returned.

The girl appeared flustered at his words.

"Please Mr. D, I just want to make sure he's okay."

Pleading, he was wondering when she would resort to that. He watched as her big blue eyes begged anxiously.

He snorted. "Fine, but only for a few minuets."

Her face lit up in a smile and before he could stop her, she stepped past him and rushed to Quinton's bed.

Shaking his head, he followed to stand behind her as she sat on the edge of the bed. Carefully, she raised Quinton's shirt to examine the bandaged wound.

"Satisfied?" Dionysus grumbled

As Kayla lowered the shirt, she nodded. Her fingers accidentally brushed against Quinton's skin. His eyes snapped open.

Without warning, he flipped their positions so she was flat on her back with the wind knocked out of her. His lips were pulled back in a snarl and she felt the muscles in his hands clenching at her shoulders.

Suddenly, his face softened.

"Belle?" before she knew what was happening, he had sat up, tugged her into his powerful arms and crushed her in a hug.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry Belle." his fingers were buried in her hair as he murmured his apologies.

A hand clamped down on Quinton's shoulder.

Quickly, Quinton placed himself between Mr. D and Kayla.

"Get back!" he growled.

"Oh, for Olympus sakes!" Mr. D snapped his fingers and Quinton's eyes rolled up in the back of his head. Kayla let out a strangled yelp as he fell on top of her. Wriggling out from underneath him, she moved and stood away, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She could feel Mr. D's angry gaze on her, but she couldn't bring herself to face him.

"I think you'd best go now." he sneered.

Quickly walking to the door, she stopped just as her hand touched the knob.

"He'll be okay, right?"

Dionysus met her searching blue eyes. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. Abruptly, he sat down in the chair next to Quinton's bed.

"Honestly," he paused, glancing at her. "I don't know. Something dark is in his mind and I can't quite tell what it is."

Cocking her head to the side, she inquired weakly, "Does the name Belle have anything to do with it?"

For the first time since she had met Mr. D, he spoke gently to her.

"Kayla, it's late. Go to bed and sleep. I promise I'll do my best to help him."

Dumbly nodding, she walked out and went straight to her cabin, ignoring the danger of running into harpys.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! Remember to review. Reviews spur me on to write faster, and you _do _want more chapters right? **


	4. Lightning

**A/N: I hope you liked the previous chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

Sunlight streamed in brightly through the infirmary windows. The smell of clean bedsheets and the fresh air that wafted through the open door was relaxing. Feeling the warmth on his skin, Quinton stirred quietly. As he opened his eyes, he yawned widely and stretched. A twinge of pain reminded him of his wounded side. Prodding it gently, he tossed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood shakily, grunting with the effort. Taking an unsure step, he tested his balance. Although it tugged at his side, he didn't fall. Slowly, he walked to the open door. By the time he had made it to the exit, he realized belatedly that he had no shoes. Embarrassed, he paused to make sure that he still had the borrowed jeans and shirt on. Satisfied that he was decent, he continued outside. Blinking into the sun, he felt a cool breeze toss his hair playfully. While he adjusted to the odd temperature (he could have sworn it was the middle of winter), he listened to shouts and laughter coming from around the house he was standing in front of.

Glancing at said house, he realized it was a farm house. It had a wrap around porch on which he was currently standing. Carefully, he went to the rail. It would support him as he walked around to the front of the house.

By the time he arrived, he was out of breath. Panting, he turned his head to see two men sitting at a table playing cards.

"Excuse me," Quinton began.

The two men jumped.

"You're awake!" exclaimed one of the men seated in a wheelchair. Quinton recalled his name from the previous night. Chiron, that was it.

Rather speedily for someone in a wheelchair, he wheeled over to Quinton.

"How is your wound doing, child?"

Quinton touched it unconsciously.

"Healing." he responded shortly. Honestly, he felt something cool brushing over the wound. It felt slightly uncomfortable, but good at the same time. Chiron stiffened.

"What it it? What's wrong?" asked Quinton. He followed Chiron's gaze to his hand. Jerking his hand away from his side, he held it out in front of himself.

Tendrils of blue light swirled around it, flickering in and out between his outspread fingers.

"What's going on?! What's wrong with me?" he cried. The light flared brightly, then disappeared.

"Magic, and nothing is wrong with you." The other man answered in a bored voice.

Chiron glared at the man.

"Who _are _you?" Quinton shot at him.

Noticing that he wasn't going to answer, Chiron replied for him.

"This is Dionysus. We call him Mr. D here."

Quinton furrowed his eyebrows.

_Dionysus, why does that name sound familiar? For that matter, why do I feel like I've known Chiron my whole life? _Thought Quinton to himself.

Images of a man on a white stallion flashed across his mind. No, wait, the man was part of the stallion. His waist was grafted smoothly to the horse. He was a centaur!

"You're... A Centaur?" Quinton stuttered.

Both of their eyes widened. Chiron swivelled his head to stare at Mr. D.

"Yes, I am... Do you remember anything else?" he responded slowly.

Quinton squeezed his eyes shut. Pressing his hands to his head, he growled frustratedly. "No, I'm sorry, I don't."

He ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Soft to his touch, he threaded his fingers through the length of it.

_It's getting long. I should cut it. Wait, I've just been told that this guy in a wheelchair is a centaur and I'm thinking about my hair?_

Not just that, he realized, he had remembered it.

Softly he muttered under his breath, "Who am I?"

Raised above his head, his arms didn't extract the same pain as before. His fingers flew to his side. Not caring that the two men were watching him, he pulled up his shirt to get a good look at the wound. Smooth skin greeted him. Sliding a long finger over it, his jaw dropped as a flicker of blue light arched from the digit to the unblemished skin. He yanked down the shirt and stared in horror at his finger.

He yelped. "I'm going mental!"

Chiron held up a reassuring hand. "You are perfectly sane. You have been able to do this for years. In fact you're the best!"

Mr. D glared daggers at Chiron. "Careful, let him rediscover it for himself."

Growling, Quinton fisted his hand. "Rediscover, able to do this for years? What are you talking about?"

Sensing his anger, Chiron pushed the wheelchair back and forth nervously. Narrowing his eyes, Quinton wondered why he would be nervous.

"Why don't we wait-" the centaur began.

Quinton interrupted, "No! I'm tired of my filled with as many holes as swiss cheese. Tell me now!"

Mr. D got up, walking towards him and holding his hands out in a peaceable gesture. "We simply want to be able to tell others at the same time. It'll make explaining easier."

"Stop, just stop!" he bellowed. As he shouted, he felt a surge of tingling power running through his veins. Lapis Lazuli tinted lighting flitted around him, sparking and snapping. It began to mingle with a cobalt shade of smoke as it threaded around him. A sharp scent mingled with the fresh air. An evergreen smell surrounded him as the lightning grew fiercer. It crackled and when it popped, the smell grew stronger.

"Why can't you just tell me!" he snarled at them.

Dionysus barely had time to put a barrier around Chiron and himself before the lightning coursed through the air and split the table, leaving it smoking and blackened. Popping a few more times angrily, the electricity and smoke disappeared. It left the fresh scent of evergreens behind, however.

Quinton stared aghast at the table. He seemed to sag as his gray eyes widened.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." With that, he turned and sprinted down the porch steps and into the heart of the camp.

00000000

Kayla was discussing the previous nights with Jason, that afternoon. While they were climbing the rock wall, she had mentioned that she had gone to see Quinton. After gaping at her, Jason had pressed her for details. Elaborating on what had happened, Kayla related how Quinton had gone from growling in her face, to hugging her, in under a second.

So lost in the details, Kayla didn't notice the lava until it was too late.

"Look out!" shouted Jason. Glancing up, she saw the molten rock pouring down and coming at her. Yelping, Kayla leaped to the side. Her fingers grasping for a hand hold. Missed by the lava with the space of an inch to spare, she managed to hold onto a crevice.

Her fingers began to slip. Realizing that they had decided against climbing ropes, she knew that if she fell, there would be nothing to stop her from splattering against the ground. A hand wrapped around her wrist.

"I can't hold you for much longer!" said Jason as he ground his teeth with exertion.

Scrabbling for a foot hold, an edge, anything to hold onto, she felt his fingers begin to slip.

"Jason!" she screamed. Her wrist slid out of his grasp.

"No!"

She tumbled backwards. Hands clawing at the air she felt rushing past her, she wondered briefly if it would hurt.

Suddenly she began to slow. Not by much, but she could feel herself losing her velocity. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the shooting pain that would come. It never arrived. What she did feel, however, was a strong arm under her leg, and one wrapped just under her arm. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into the concerned face of Quinton Prince.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Uh." she didn't know what to say.

"Kayla! Are you alright?" Jason's voice rang out above them.

"Are you hurt?" Quinton repeated the sentiment in his Irish/British accent. She shook her head.

His face relaxed, his mouth curving into a relived smile.

"Good."

Their heads turned at the sound of a thud as Jason hit the ground. Hurrying over to them, he presented quite a mixture of emotions.

Relief that Kayla didn't appear hurt.

Anger at himself for letting her slip out of his grasp.

More anger at himself for not warning her in time.

And a look that Kayla couldn't quite place flickered over his face when he saw Quinton holding her.

Blushing, it clicked that Quinton was _holding _her. Rather ungracefully, she attempted to climb out of his arms. His grip tightened when she nearly fell on her face.

Lowering her legs to the ground, he balanced her as she stood numbly.

"Thank you, Quinton."

He nodded and stepped back. The moment he did so, Jason moved forward, and wrapped his own arms around her.

"Don't ever do that again! No more falling, okay?"

Smiling, Kayla nodded. Jason squeezed then held her at arms length.

"I'm fine, Jason." she said firmly.

Quinton coughed. Jason jumped as if he had forgotten that the other boy was there.

"My apologies. I was just wondering if there is a place where I can get some clothes and shoes."

Kayla pulled away from Jason.

"I'm sure cabin 10 as what you are looking for. Don't worry, I'll pay. It's the least I can do after you saved my life."

Quinton was about to protest, but realized he didn't have any money.

"Cabin 10?" He repeated.

Jason grinned wickedly. "The Aphrodite cabin."

00000000

As they strolled to the cabin, there was an awkward silence. Unsure of what to say, they avoided eye contact until Jason spoke up.

"So, Quinton, the Big House is kind of far away. How did you manage to get all the way to the climbing wall with your side hurt?"

Quinton winced. Staring at his hands, he answered slowly.

"It's not hurt anymore. Somehow, it healed."

"Overnight." Jason stated disbelievingly.

Quinton shrugged. "I just got told that Chiron is a centaur, and Mr. D is Dionysus. Is it really that odd?"

Kayla giggled. "He has a point Jason." she directed her attention to Quinton. "How did you catch me? I felt like I was slowing down while I was still falling."

Uncomfortably, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sure, actually. It just sort of happened."

Smiling, she jostled him playfully. "Well, I'm glad it did. Thank you."

He ducked his head, grinning bashfully.

"Can we hurry up?" Jason interrupted grumpily.

The cabins were in view. From what Quinton could recall about summer camps, these cabins weren't traditional at all. Placed in a rectangular shape, each cabin had a distinct theme to it. The two at the head of the rectangle were marbled and pillared, the cabin to the left of those was low and made with rough stone. Next to that one, was an ugly red cabin, barbed wire fencing around it. A boar's head was stuck on top of the door. Standing proudly not far away from the fence was a white and gold cabin, with the symbol of a lyre above the door.

Kayla pointed at it. "That's my cabin. Cabin seven, the Apollo cabin."

Acknowledging the fact, Quinton carried on with his inspection. A metallic cabin hunkered down next to cabin seven and beside that cabin was a rather run down looking one.

Glancing at the other side, he noted two of the cabins were plant like in features, although the one near the end was louder in appearance than the other. Two of the cabins were modest and rather gray.

Jason nodded to one of the plant like cabins. "That one is mine, cabin four. The Demeter cabin."

Wisely, Quinton didn't say what he was thinking.

There was a beautifully decorated cabin. A rather pinkish shade and Quinton didn't have to be told which cabin that was.

Two other cabins caught his eye. There was another row entirely closing the row, but the two at the opposite ends were of particular interest to him.

One was dark and ominous with obsidian walls. Torches on either side of the entrance held green fire. _Greek fire, was a weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. Then it had the ability to burn and not be quenched by water. Now it has magical properties and cannot be quenched by any non-magical substance._ His mind supplied for him. As they walked closer to cabin ten, he still got a good look. There appeared to be a skull grinning wickedly over the door.

The other had walls with glowing symbols on each stone. Other than that, it looked fairly simple. But the runes meant something, and a buzzing in Quinton's head told him that he _knew _what they meant, but he couldn't remember how to translate them.

"Which cabins are those?" he asked, gesturing toward the two he had observed.

Kayla studied him searchingly for a moment before answering. "The one at the far end is the Hades cabin and the other one is cabin 20, Hecate.

The name sounded so familiar. He couldn't place it, nor did he have time to dwell on it because they arrived at the door step of cabin 10.

Jason knocked loudly.

The door opened and they were greeted with the smell of strong perfume, and the white smile of a very pretty Asian girl.

Kayla rolled her eyes at the two boys dumbstruck looks.

"Hey Drew, is Piper here?"

The girl's smile faded rapidly. "Oh, you're looking for Dumpster Queen. Well, she's not here right now." Drew snapped at them. "So go away and find her." Quinton watched bewildered as Kayla and Jason both stepped away from the door and turned to go away.

"Yeah, we'll just go find her." Jason muttered.

Without meaning to, Quinton burst out. "Wait!"

He turned to Drew and put on his best smile. His accent thick, he told her politely, "I arrived last night and I don't have any extra clothes. I also seemed to have misplaced my shoes. Perhaps you would be so kind to help me. I'm not very good at picking out what to wear."

Drew cocked her head, intrigued. "What's your name?"

It must have been a muscle reflex, because Quinton bowed. "Quinton Prince, at your service."

All three stared at him.

Drew stuck out her hand for him to shake it. "I'm Drew Tanaka."

Again, Quinton surprised himself and the others by gently taking her hand and brushing his lips against the back of it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Tanaka."

A smile flitted across her Asian features. "Come on in. I'll see if we can't find something that fits you."

Drew turned and walked back into her cabin. Kayla and Jason gaped at Quinton.

"What was that?!" Kayla exclaimed. He gestured helplessly with his hands.

"I don't know! It felt normal, like I used to do it before. Either way, Let's go in. I need the clothes."

He strode in, Kayla and Jason trailing behind him.

Drew directed him to stand in the center of the room, while she strolled around him with a critical eye. Taking mental measurements, she asked absentmindedly, "Any look in particular you were looking for hon?"

Quinton sent dazzling smile at her. "I think you will probably make the better choice, love."

The endearment slipped out of his mouth before he even realized it. He knew he didn't mean it, it just seemed to be one of those things he said to others.

Visibly, her smile got wider. "Stay there, I'll find you some things." Rushing off, she left him with his two slack jawed friends.

"What was that! First you kiss her hand and now you're calling her 'love'?" Kayla burst out.

Jason closed his mouth with a snap. "Must be a British thing." Quinton glanced at him gratefully.

Quinton couldn't help himself. He didn't know where this confidence was coming from, but it felt good. It also helped him ignore the events that had happened on the porch and the previous night.

"Why, love, jealous?" he teased Kayla gently, intentionally thickening his accent.

Blushing as red as a tomato, Kayla shook her head furiously.

"No! I'm not jealous, where would you get such an idea?"

Drew came back with a bundle of clothes.

"Now, I've brought two pairs of jeans and a pair of chinos. I also brought a plaid button down shirt, a white t-shirt, and a graphic t-shirt." She watched Quinton's face go slightly blank as she began to list the articles of clothing. Giggling, she jerked her head to the bathroom. "Go ahead and try them on. I put things that go well together on the same hanger. We'll deal with footwear when you're finished with clothes."

She dumped the clothes into his arms and gave him a little push to the bathroom.

By what felt like the 50th change, he had enough clothes to fit comfortably in a duffel bag. Drew had steered him more to the cultured casual look, although, Kayla had thrown in a couple of suggestions that Drew had grudgingly accepted, which meant another five changes. He now had a leather jacket and three items of footwear: Sneakers, boots and trainers as well as quite a few pairs of socks. Providing him with a duffel to take along with him, Kayla paid Drew a few gold coins.

_Drachma, _his mind told him. _Currency used by the ancient Greeks. Equivalent to about 25 US dollars, it is still used by the gods and by half-bloods today._

This was another helpful bit of trivia that his mind decided to provide, but not at all helpful to his identity problem.

Slinging the duffel bag across his back, he bowed to Drew again. "Thanks love, I really appreciated the help."

Her almond shapes eyes crinkled beautifully up in a smile. "Anytime Quinn."

Kayla tugged at Quinton's arm.

"Let's go Charmer. We should probably get you back to Chiron."

Waggling her fingers at them, Drew saw them out. Jason hung behind with a winning grin.

"Hey Drew, do you think you could help-"

"No." she refused flatly.

He jogged to catch up with the other two. Quinton was wearing his new trainers, jeans, and the button down plaid.

Currently, he was pleading with Kayla not to take him back to Chiron.

"And why not? You do want to find out who you are, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"No buts. We are taking you back to the Big House." Quinton opened his mouth to argue, but Jason jostled him.

"Don't bother. One of things you learn pretty quickly about Kayla, is that when she makes her mind up, there is no changing it."

Quinton muttered under his breath, "Yeah, starting to realize that, thanks."

Kayla threw up her hands. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

Both boys stared guiltily at her.

"Nothing!" They replied in unison.

Nudging Quinton, Jason challenged him, "Race you to the Big House!"

Quickly, Kayla shook her head. "That's probably not a good idea-"

"You're on!"

The boys sped off, each trying to outrun the other.

Kayla grumbled something unflattering about boys then tore off after them.

00000000

They arrived breathless and panting. Jason had beaten Quinton easily. As one of the fastest runners next to the Nike campers, it hadn't been hard for him.

Kayla arrived a few moments after they had. Waving at Chiron, she slowed to a walk.

"Hey Chiron! We brought Quinton back."

An annoyed voice cut Chiron off before he could answer. "And you didn't bring him back earlier, why?"

Kayla was at a loss of words. Quinton stepped in for her.

"Because I asked them to help me to find some clothes."

His dark gray eyes surveyed the porch. There was no evidence of his outburst. Repaired and standing, the table carried no trace of being split or burned.

"Your timing is impeccable. We have just called the head councilors here for a meeting." Chiron stated as Mr. D opened his mouth to answer Quinton.

Suspiciously, Quinton narrowed his eyes. Feeling power buzz through him, he fought hard to control it. The last thing he needed was an explosion of the blue electricity again.

"A meeting for what?" he demanded.

Chiron paused and flashed a look at Mr. D. "I think it's about time that we told you who you are."

**A/N: I'm kind of new at cliffhangers, so I hope this one was okay. Just to make sure no one is confused, Jason is not Jason Grace. If you would recall for a moment The Titans Curse. Jason was mentioned during the game of Capture the Flag. Just telling you to make sure you know! :)**


	5. Meeting

**A/N: Here is the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

Quinton flicked his gaze between Chiron and Dionysus.

"Alright. When do we start?"

He could tell that they were relieved that he hadn't gotten angry when they told him he had to wait. Chiron let out a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding. "As soon as the councilors come." He switched his gaze to Jason and Kayla. "I'm afraid that this meeting is for the councilors and Quinton only."

Immediately, they began to protest loudly. Dionysus glared at them, purple fire in his eyes. Silencing quickly, they pleaded wordlessly to Chiron. The centaur shook his head.

"This isn't an option. If Quinton wishes, he can tell you all about it after the meeting."

Quinton turned to face them both. "I promise."

Jason grumbled a bit, but nodded. Kayla was about to demur again, when Quinton held up a finger.

"I promise to tell you about it. I still owe you for the clothes." he ended with a small smile.

Kayla returned the grin. "Yes, but..."

Quinton raised an eyebrow at her. "Go on, I'll find you when this meeting is over."

Making a shooing motion with his hand, Dionysus told them to go away. Discreetly, all three rolled their eyes, then Kayla and Jason made their way through the nineteen teens who began straggling through the door.

Chiron gestured to the entrance. "Quinton, after you."

Anticipation built up in his chest. Finally, he was going to learn who he was.

00000000

He entered into the rec-room. The councilors were seated around a ping pong table, talking and joking with each other. Padding in softly, his gaze flicked from one face to another. A close cropped, blond haired teen, sat laughing with with a choppy brown haired girl. She had a feather braided in the locks above her ear. Nearby, A gray eyed girl was talking and smiling with a boy with black hair and green eyes. The two couples were connected by a Spanish looking boy. A mischievous sparkle twinkled in his brown eyes. Sitting with them, was a dark haired boy. Skull rings decorated his fingers, and a black shirt and jeans gave a stark contrast against his pale skin.

Switching his gaze not far, he saw two boys that must have been twins, sneaking up on an unsuspecting, sleeping kid. A large, buff girl with string brown hair was rolling her eyes at their antics, while conversing with a tall blond haired teen. He had a relaxed air, and was wrapping and unwrapping his hand with an ace bandage.

A boy that looked remarkably like Mr. D, was seated next to a girl with brown hair, who seemed to have forgotten that she was carrying a garden trowel. Arguing loudly not far from them, a girl fiddled with a pair of scales. The boy who she was arguing with, wore a smug smirk and flipped a drachma through his fingers.

A buff boy, threw his head back and laughed. His arm bore a tattoo of a rainbow. Although, why someone choose that particular tattoo, Quinton was at a loss for an answer.

Pleased with herself for making him laugh, a tall slender girl that had a face that would probably stay young looking forever, smiled with him.

However, one girl sat alone with her nose in a book. She wore a pair of glasses and her mouth shaped words as if she were memorizing them. Just along her fingers, a brown spark shot up her arm and disappeared. It left a thin scent of nutmeg.

Chiron cleared his throat for their attention.

"Councilors, I have brought you here to discuss a few-"

He was rudely interrupted by the glasses girl.

"Is that Quinton Prince?"

Not given a chance to answer, Quinton's hand was suddenly caught up in a vigorous shake.

"It is an honor to meet you Mr. Prince. I've read all your research on imaginative incantations. We managed to salvage all your studies on the creation of spells from the fire. I can't tell you how much I've wanted to meet you. But they...said that you...were killed in one of the...explosions..."

She died off at the end as she realized that not only was everyone staring at her, but that Mr. D was giving her one of his patented withering looks pared with a fierce scowl. Releasing his hand, she speedily sat down again and blushed.

Chiron patted Quinton's arm. "Why don't you take a seat child." Turning to everyone else while Quinton took a seat near the sleeping kid, he announced, "This is Quinton Prince."

Pausing, he glanced at Mr. D, unsure of how to continue. Exasperatedly, Mr. D took up where he left off.

"Qwan-"

"Quinton." Chiron corrected.

"-is a son of Hecate. He was born twelve years before World War II, which, many of you know was really a battle between the children of Zeus and Poseidon against the children of Hades." He broke off to glower at the two boys in the back, who were clearly attempting not to roll their eyes in response.

"Apparently, he is a magical genius-"

"I'll say." The girl muttered under her breath. Chiron raised an eyebrow at her.

"- and very kindly decided to side with the children of Zeus and Poseidon." Mr. D continued, ignoring her.

"Hold on," one of the twin like boys cut in.

"Yes, Trevor?" Dionysus sighed impatiently.

"Travis."

"Whatever."

"If he was born before World War II, shouldn't he be like, sixty years old?" Travis asked.

Chiron spoke up again. "We're getting to that."

"Although he was young, he managed to collect a myriad of spells and incantations with the help of others. By the time he turned seventeen, around the fifth year of the war, he was the greatest magician of the last couple centuries."

"Last two thousand years." The teen girl spoke up softly again.

"Lou Ellen!" Chiron said sharply. Glancing up with a guilty look, she shrugged.

The girl with the gray eyes raised her hand.

"Yes, Annabelle?"

"Annabeth."

"_Whatever!_" Mr. D exclaimed.

"Wasn't Quinton the one who designed the Lotus Casino?"

Chiron rasied a hand. "Yes, now let Mr. D finish."

"However, not long after, he went on a mission. We didn't see him for months, until one day, we saw him on the other side of the battlefield. He was standing next to Wilhelm, a son of Hades, and using his magic against his troops." Mr. D paused and glanced at Chiron.

The centaur picked up where he left off.

"We were unsure of what had happened, but either way, it was too late in the war. We routed Wilhelm and his brothers. By the end of the war, all the sons of Hades were killed. The day after the war was over, we captured Quinton. It didn't take us long to realize something was wrong. Not just because he had strange mood swings, but because when he was calm, he continued to go on about a curse."

Chiron watched Quinton's reaction to this news. His face was unreadable. Shock, anger, embarrassment, and fear, all crossed his face at the same time.

Chiron continued slowly. "At one point, he told us that Wilhelm had constructed the curse specifically so that who ever held a certain sword could control Quinton. As soon as he recovered, just in case he was telling the truth, he asked to go to the Lotus Casino. The gods, who were about to tell him the same thing, consented and he has been there ever since. Until two days ago, when he was found in a hospital by three of our campers. He suffered a head injury and can no longer remember who he is nor what he did."

He had finished speaking and Quinton didn't know whether to be ecstatic about knowing his past, or to be depressed at how horrible it was. He was also disappointed that he hadn't learned about Belle. Resolving to ask Chiron about it later, he listened carefully to what the others were saying.

"He can't remember anything?" exclaimed Lou Ellen.

The sleeping boy, who had been awakened before the meeting started, called out, "I can fix that. A good sleep should-"

He was cut off by Mr. D. "No."

"We have decided to enforce that Quinton will undergo the natural process of regaining his memory."

A clamor arose from the councilors.

"Enough! We can't answer all your questions at once." Chiron said firmly. "We'll go in the Cabin order. Jason, you first."

The blond haired boy glanced at Mr. D. "Does telling him all about his life count as a 'natural process'?"

"Yes." Mr. D replied curtly.

"Percy?" Chiron gestured to the green eyed boy.

"How do you know if he's cursed or not?"

Mr. D answered that one too. "Because there is a dark link in his mind that connects him to something; presumably, the sword."

"Miranda, do you have a question?"

The girl swung her trowel back and forth. "What did Wilhelm have against Quinton?"

There were quite a few nods to her question, Quinton included.

Chiron took the question. "I'm not sure of the specifics, but during one of the missions, Quinton destroyed a building. Wilhelm was married and his family may have been within the structure. They may have been killed in the explosion."

Quinton felt horrible. Already, he was receiving strange looks from the councilors.

"Clarrisse?"

"Where's the sword now?" she responded abruptly.

Mr. D and Chiron exchanged a look.

"No idea. Next question." replied Mr. D.

"Annabeth."

she asked her question slowly. "Quinton, is there anything you _do _remember?"

Startled that someone had asked him a question, Quinton jumped a little.

"Er, sorry." ducking his head, he thought for a moment. Unconsciously everyone leaned in to hear his answer.

"Mostly I remember little things." he began slowly. "I remember that Chiron is a centaur. I know what a drachma is as well as Greek Fire..." he trailed off, then decided now was as good a time as any to tell them about his dream.

"Last night, I dreamed, but now I think it might have been a memory." he related to them the details of the dream. He didn't even leave out the bit with Belle.

When he had finished, everyone was staring at him, switching their gaze to the two directors, then back at him.

"So your memory is coming back slowly." Annabeth stated. Quinton nodded his head several times.

The rec-room was quiet until Chiron broke the silence with another name.

"Will?"

The boy glanced up from wrapping his wrist in the ace bandage.

"Do you know how to use magic?"

Quinton bit his lip. Receiving a look from Chiron that said _be honest, _he answered truthfully.

"I don't consciously know how, but it's kind of like muscle memory. My mind didn't forget how to use it."

The Spanish boy cut in. "So, you used it here in camp?"

The feather haired girl hissed at him. "Leo!"

He held up his hands innocently. "What Pipes? We are allowed to ask questions!"

"Yes but-"

Jason touched her arm gently. "I'd like to know too. From what I understand, magic has dangerous repercussions if not done properly. I don't want anyone in this camp hurt because Quinton used magic when he didn't remember how."

Biting his lip, Quinton nodded in answer to Leo's question.

"How many times?" Piper inquired softly.

"Just once." Quinton lied. Recalling Kayla when he had caught her at the climbing wall, he wasn't sure if that was actual magic. Besides, she was a connection to Belle. If Chiron and Mr. D didn't tell him who Belle was, he could find out on his own. He had a feeling that if he told them about using magic on her, he would never be allowed to see her again.

"When did you use it?" Travis asked.

Passing a hand through his hair, he replied slowly. "I destroyed the table outside, right after I healed my side."

Travis' brother held up a hand. "That table was fine when we came in."

"Well, they probably repaired it then!" He countered, gesturing to the directors.

Travis snorted at his brother.

"Any more questions?" Chiron asked, raising his eyebrows.

One boy raised his hand.

"Yes, Pollux."

The boy turned to face Quinton. "Who's Belle?"

Opening and closing his mouth, Quinton flicked his gaze from his hands to Will Solace. He tried to think of who she was, but it slipped away every time he tried to reach for it. She was important to him.

"I think we'll leave that bit of information just for Quinton." Chiron responded for him.

"Next question?"

The pale boy raised a slender finger. "I have one." He directed his level stare at Dionysus. "What happened to Wilhelm's family?"

The god shrugged. "We have no idea. No one has heard from them since they ran."

"His wife, was she a half-blood?" Nico inquired.

Dionysus pinned him with a scowl. "Yes she was. A daughter of Apollo if I recall correctly."

At that point, Quinton wasn't paying attention to the questions anymore. Wishing that he could just stop and rest for a moment, he imagined that he was far way. The accident had left a few memories, and one of them included a beach. Golden sands, clear blue ocean, waves lapping at the shore, and the best part: he was with Belle. They held hands as they walked in companionable silence, her shoulder leaning into his as their feet scuffed the yellow grains. Leading her to a rock, Quinton held out a hand to help her up onto it. Swiftly, he clambered up beside her. She snuggled up next to him, under his arm her head resting in the crook of his neck. She spoke in his ear, but the memory only allowed visuals it seemed, because he couldn't hear a word she said. A voice called to him from a distance.

"Wake up. Quinton wake up!" he felt his shoulder being jostled roughly. His dark gray eyes flew open.

"Yeah, 'm awake." blinking tiredly, he looked around. Everyone was watching him.

"Er, why don't we ask more questions later." Lou Ellen decided.

Chiron smiled and nodded. "Good idea, why don't you get Quinton settled in the cabin. I'm sure he's tired.

Quinton dipped his head in acceptance, picked up his duffel, and moved swiftly out the door. Before he left, he told them all, "It was a pleasure to meet you." and continued on his way out.

00000000

A tall thin boy grunted as he dug the shovel deeper into the earth. Lifting it, he tossed the dirt onto the already large pile of earth. Digging the shovel in again, he heard a clank as the tool collided against something metal. Wiping sweat from his brow and leaving a brown stain across his forehead, he leaped down into the hole. Swiftly snatching a brush from his belt, he swiped it along the top of the long box.

While his one hand scrabbled to find the lock, his other went to his neck and grabbed a key that hung from a chain along his neck. Fitting it into the key hole, he turned it until it clicked. Throwing back the lid, he pulled away the oiled cloth away from an elegant Stygian Iron sword. Grasped in his hand, he stood, holding it up to the light. There, peering in the darkness, he could see two words inscribed in a jagged script near the hilt of the blade. It read, _Quinton Prince._

**A/N: This chapter was mainly to address Quinton's past. I know only a little bit drove the plot forward and that not a lot of questions were answered, but I still hope you liked it. Remember to review. I want to be able to improve my writing. I promise more action in the next chapter!**


	6. Cabin

**A/N: The sixth chapter of _Names are a Powerful Thing!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

As it turned out, Quinton did not find Kayla after the meeting. One look at the dark sky and Lou Ellen ushered him to the Hecate cabin. They walked quickly in silence. He could tell that she wanted to talk, but she seemed to have decided to give him space. Rubbing his face with his hands, he sighed softly.

"You wouldn't happen to be able to tell me what imaginative incantations are would you?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at his voice.

"I, ah, yes, of course I can!" steeling a glance at him curiously, she inquired, "I think it would be easier explained at the cabin though. I have all the books to explain it there."

Quinton nodded passing his fingers through his hair. Nearing the cabin, Lou Ellen pulled out a key from her pocket. Simple and small, it had only one glowing letter on it.

His mind, for the first time, translated it for him. _Open Sesame. _He repeated the word out loud, mostly to himself, but Lou Ellen heard him.

"So you still remember how to read!" she frowned at herself.

"That didn't come out right. I mean, you still remember how to read the language of magic."

The corner of Quinton's mouth tugged. "Maybe, I'm not sure. Perhaps we can go over one of the books before lights out?"

Her eyes lit up at the idea as she entered the key into the lock and turned it. The door opened without a sound.

Inside, there were desks lining a wall, as well as bookshelves filled with large tomes. Cots were shoved against the wall to make as much room for the books as possible. Lighted by lamps dotted around the room, and small desk lights perched on tables, the no area in the cabin, except for the sleeping area, was dark. Tiny intricate pieces lay scattered across the desks. As Quinton gawked at the cabin, two campers fiddled with the bits metal. A short girl stood on her tiptoes to reach a thick volume from one of the bookshelves. At another one of the desks, a small child was writing on a piece of paper, glancing back and forth to a book to check his work. A flight of stairs caught Quinton's eye. The railing was polished to a glossy sheen as the stairwell slanted down to an underground room. His gray eyes flicked up to the ceiling. Bright dots decorated it. It took a short moment to realize that these represented stars.

Breathing in deeply, he could smell a mixture of different spices and scents. None were putrid or horrible, all the smells were pleasant and relaxing. Except for one, that one had the aroma of coffee. That one was sharp and had an interesting kick to it.

Lou Ellen led him to the stairs. "We have most of our equipment down here."

Descending down the stairs, Quinton's jaw dropped. One wall again had bookshelves filled to the brim with books. Leaned against another wall were an assortment of staffs, some made of wood and others metal. Each were either emblazoned with runes, or topped with a crystal ball that swirled with fogged colors. Along another wall was a line of cauldrons, each with their own fire pit. Only one was currently being used and stirred slowly by a tall boy who muttered foreign words under his breath.

Desks held either open books, or bits and pieces of metals and herbs.

However, it was the middle of the room that captured the attention. Two campers stood facing each other. One held a staff capped with a crystal ball, and the other held a ball of green fire in his hand. A dark haired girl stood to the side and called out, "Alright, let's see if this staff of yours works John. Ready, Caleb?"

The boy with green fire grinned, baring his teeth. "Let's do this!"

John swirled his staff twice in front of him, then slammed it into the ground. The earth rippled and shook. Caleb didn't appear fazed. When a wave of the floor came near him, he leaped over it, flinging the fire at John. Quickly bringing the staff up to protect his face, he held it firmly as the fire coursed around himself. Just as it appeared like the fire was spent, it suddenly raged hotly, and the staff split in half.

"Ha! I win again!" crowed Caleb.

The dark haired girl glared at him. "What did we talk about winning graciously?"

Caleb smirked at her cockily. "This _is_ me being gracious." The girl rolled her eyes and strode to John. "Let's see what we can do to strengthen your staff." The two walked off to a desk murmuring softly together.

Lou Ellen nudged Quinton with her shoulder. "So, what do you think?"

When Quinton looked at her, he had a wide grin and a joyful glint in his gray eyes. "It's brilliant!"

At the sound of their voices, everyone looked up. Except for cauldron boy, he was busy stirring the pot.

A couple of hushed mutters ran through the Hecate campers. Before Lou Ellen could speak, Caleb cut in. "Who's this?"

A hesitant voice voice spoke up. "Is that Quinton Prince?" With those words, the campers fell into a shocked silence, gaping at the -not-so-dead- teen.

"Quinton Prince, huh. I've heard about you, but aren't you supposed to be dead?" Caleb said, watching him.

Lou Ellen stepped in before Quinton could respond. "He lived in the Lotus Casino for about sixty years. When he came out, he lost his memory in an accident."

A couple of the campers frowned, but Caleb looked interested

"Can you still do magic?" he inquired curiously.

Quinton glanced at Lou Ellen, then nodded.

"Great! Come on, let's have a quick duel. Maybe that will help your memory." Caleb grinned viciously.

The Hecate cabin buzzed with excitement.

Running his hand through his hair–something he was doing a lot–Quinton smiled ruefully. "I'm afraid, I don't know how to duel."

Caleb waved his hand airily. "No matter, it's easy. There is a protective circle on the floor which protects the cabin from being destroyed. Stay in the circle and use your magic to beat me. Sound easy enough?"

Hesitantly he stepped forward.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Quinton." Lou Ellen placed a hand on his arm reassuringly.

As he watched Caleb wear a cocky smirk, Quinton shook his head. When he spoke, his accent was imperceptibly thicker. "No, it's alright, I'll do it." He shrugged off the duffel bag, and placed it by one of the desks.

The campers clapped loudly and Caleb beckoned him into the glowing circle.

Caleb inclined his head to her. "Lou Ellen, if you would get us started we can begin."

Nervously, she glanced at them both in turn. "Um, alright, ready yourselves."

Caleb summoned the green fire again. Dumbly, Quinton stood there, unsure of what to do. Every thought in his mind was caught up in trying to figure out why he was doing this. He didn't hear when Lou Ellen told them to start.

His eyes widened as a green ball of fire hurtled towards him. It caught him in the stomach and drove him backwards, out of the circle. He landed hard, sliding into the the bookcases.

"Are you sure that's Quinton Prince?" Caleb asked laughing loudly. "I wonder what the standards of a great magician were back in his time. Ha, even John can do better than him! This is no child of Hecate."

Quinton groaned softly. He could hear the laughter around him, and he could see the worried look on Lou Ellen's face. Grunting, he pushed himself off the floor.

"Do you mind if we went again? I think I have the hang of it now."

Caleb laughed and beckoned him over to the circle. "Sure, come on _Prince. _Let me whip your your royal behind again."

They took their places in the circle once more. This time, Caleb folded his arms over his chest, smirking confidently.

Quinton breathed slowly. He let his worry seep away as his mind was opened to new memories. Well, more like a list of instructions. His mind stated them for him.

_Step 1: Be calm. Remain neutral. No emotions are allowed during magic. It is too dangerous to allow your emotions to control your actions when performing something as dangerous as magic._

_Step 2: Find your magic center, your drive. This is what allows you to access magic and control it._

_Step 3: Know what you want to do before you do it. Always plan ahead._

_Step 4: Know your opponent. Be sure that you can predict what his moves will be._

_Step 5: Be prepared for anything._

He was calm. He knew that for a fact. It was ingrained in his brain to be calm.

Quinton's center was that spark in the back of his mind. It pulsed and beat like a living heart. It was a drive to uphold what Quinton stood for. Once he remembered what he stood for anyway.

Step 3 was harder to follow. All he wanted to do was beat Caleb, but Quinton was fairly sure that that wasn't what the step was saying.

It was another muscle memory kind of thing. Analyzing Caleb from the moment the other boy had begun using magic, Quinton's brain understood Caleb's method of attacking.

Quinton was prepared. Lou Ellen called for them to get ready.

Summoned to his hand, Caleb brought forth the fire. For the first time, Quinton smelled a dark musky scent emanating from the flames.

Narrowing his gray eyes, Quinton remembered what it had felt like to have the lightning arch around him. As Lou Ellen ordered them to begin, a spark of Lapis Lazuli electricity rose from his skin. His opponent didn't notice, to busy fanning the fire with magic.

The spark dancing on Quinton's arm began to multiply and lengthen. Quickly, the lightning coursed around him, sparking and snapping. The rush of power every time the electricity popped stirred the air into wind. Crackling dangerously, the bolts darted in and out between his fingers.

Caleb finally noticed. Shocked, the fire in his hand died out.

The strong scent of evergreens pulsated masked the thick smell of musk.

"Tell me, Caleb." Quinton said in a low voice, accent thick. "Do you still think I am weak? Do you still believe I am not a son of Hecate?" Bringing up his right hand close to the opposite cheek, he smiled grimly.

"Allow me to prove you wrong." flicking his wrist, the electricity arched from his skin and sped toward Caleb. Desperately, the boy flung his arms up shielding his face. The shield that he summoned to protect himself with shattered and he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the hard shock.

It never came.

Peeking open one brown eye, he watched in surprise as the volts flickered around him, engulfing him with their minty scent.

"You never answered the question." was Quinton's answer to Caleb's questioning gape. With a snap of his fingers, the lightning disappeared, as did his energy. Sighing, he flicked his eyes to Lou Ellen's pleadingly. Understanding, she took his arm, glaring harshly at Caleb, and gesturing to the other campers to go about their business. Retrieving his duffel from beside the desk, they exited the basement.

"How did you do that?" came the inevitable question when they were half way up the stairs. As he stifled a yawn against the crook of his arm, he shrugged.

"The steps came back to me just after I got off my backside." he answered simply. She waited for him to elaborate, but when he yawned again, she didn't press the matter.

Guiding him past the cots and to a door, she explained, "It's a bathroom so you can change. I'm going to deal with the rabble down stairs." pausing, she smiled welcomingly. "Get some rest. Tomorrow is capture the flag and we could use the extra help." She left him and disappeared down the stairs.

He entered. Unzipping the bag, he sifted through the clothes, attempting to locate suitable sleepwear garments. Unable to find any, he decided to strip down to his boxers, put on a white under shirt and sleep in them. In his search of the duffel, he had come across a toothbrush and toothpaste. Making quick use of these, he rinsed out his mouth with the tap water, replaced the two items, and made swift work of his clothing. He paused before he put on the undershirt. The mirror revealed a slim, wiry body that was marred by a small collection of scars. Most were small and thin and he assumed that those were from petty fights. The larger, starker scars had to have been from full blown battles. Pulling the shirt over his head, he glared at his reflection. He tried to remember if this was how he usually looked. Neck length dark brown hair falling into his dulled gray eyes, a sharp nose over thin pale lips. The face that stared back at him had been through trials that he could not recall. All the life seemed to have fled those gray orbs.

Opening the faucet again, he cupped water into his hand and splashed it on his face. The cold shock helped, but not much. Perhaps sleep would help bring back the energy to his body. Swiftly closing the faucet, he exited the bathroom, dropped his duffel next to an unused cot, and clambered under the sheets. He shut his eyes and allowed dreams to claim him once more.

**A/N: Just a bit of a fight scene in this one. Don't worry, Quinton will be introduced to the camp soon. Remember to review and stick around for chapter 7 that should be coming soon. I do have a bunch of homework to do though, so don't get your hopes up for it to come this week. Until next time my dear readers...**


	7. Classes

It hadn't taken long for Quinton to shower and change, even though he was tempted to simply stand in the stall and let the warm water run down his shoulders. Fresh clothes adorned his body and his feet were shod, which was a big improvement from when he had been found in the hospital. Exiting the Hecate cabin, he shut the door quietly behind him. Campers were already laughing and chatting with each other.

Lou Allen had left him a note by his bedside, telling him briefly to head to the Dining Pavilion. There was a slight chill in the air as he made his way to the mess hall. Keeping an eye out for anyone he knew, he entered the pavilion. Swiftly locating the other Cabin 20 members, he strode towards that table. As he sat down next to the tall boy who had been stirring the cauldron, he earned a harsh glare from Caleb who was seated across from him.

Not long after, he was bombarded with questions about his bout with Caleb. Most of them centered on summoning the lightning, but one or two were directed to his past. Although, when he couldn't answer, they supplied it for him. In just five minutes, he had learned more about his work than he had in the hours spent at the meeting.

Someone touched his shoulder. "Hey, Quinton." it was Kayla.

Smiling, he stood and turned to face her properly. "Hello Kayla. Look, I'm sorry about not finding you after the meeting. It go late and..." he trailed off, staring down at his shoes.

She shrugged. "It's okay. I was just wondering how it went for you. Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I am. It was a bit confusing though. Half the time they were talking about me like I wasn't there."

Grinning at him, she noticed Chiron entering the Pavilion.

"I'll catch up to you later. Enjoy breakfast."

Jogging away, her blond hair bounced against her back. Just like Belle's did when-

No, Kayla was not Belle.

Plunking himself down on the bench again, his new siblings quickly filled him in on how the goblets worked and how they made sacrifices to the gods before they ate.

The plates piled with waffles and pancakes. Bacon lay sizzling on a platter while eggs sent up steam in a large bowl. He followed them to a brazier. Smoothly scraping off some of the food, he turned and sat back down at the table. He scowled at the goblet. Quinton realized that he had no idea what kind of drinks there were. On the verge of throwing up his hands, he ordered water and watched the goblet fill with the liquid.

He observed everyone tucking into their food, so he picked up the fork, and dug in himself.

**III**

Quinton quickly came to the conclusion that, no matter how easy people make things look, they are rarely ever so. Cabin 20 had taken him to the arena for sword fighting lessons, where he had promptly gotten pulverized by a couple of beefy boys. He should have been happy, his body knew what to do as long as he didn't think about it. However, whenever he started thinking about what he was doing in the middle of a complicated move, He would stumble and fall on his face.

By the time he emerged, he ached in places that shouldn't have existed and his cheeks were red hot with embarrassment. Snickers and loud guffaws at his ineptness with a blade, did nothing to bring down the blush.

Rubbing his shoulder where he was sure a bruise had formed by now, he made his way toward the archery range. He could only imagine the horrors that awaited him there. As he neared, he saw a flicker of golden hair get tossed in the breeze.

Kayla's voice floated toward him. "Hey Quinton! You have archery now too?"

He watched as she jogged out to meet him. "Apparently."

Bright blue eyes looked him over. "I think you'll want a recurved bow to start out."

_A recurved bow _his mind searched for the meaning, but he came up blank.

"Recurved?" he queried.

Kayla nodded enthusiastically. "Come with me. I'll show you." she grasped him by the hand and pulled him along. Quinton decided that perhaps archery class might not be that bad after all.

**III**

The tall thin boy carefully laid the sword on his bed. Studying it thoroughly, he ran a pale finger along its length. When he arrived at the name, he caressed each letter. With a slightly crazy grin and straw colored hair dropping in his eyes, he gripped the hilt firmly. Raising it up, he whispered, "Where is the slave that is bound to you, hm?"

The map of the world lay spread on the cot as well, the corners weighted down by stones. The blade seemed to suddenly have a weight at the tip, because it fell and stabbed the atlas.

The boy eyed the point triumphantly. A hole took the place of Long Island Sound. Humming in his hands, the sword seemed to itch with want.

"It seems like we'll be going on a trip, my friend!"

**III**

Quinton was wrong. Archery was horrible. Although it was made better by Kayla, he felt suitably humiliated and ridiculous. After the first shot (which had somehow found a way to bury itself in a tree behind him) he had actually managed to fire forward. Ten arrows in and he nicked the the edge of the target. He wasn't able to hit it again after that. The worst had to be the sympathetic smile that Kayla gave to him once he finished the class. Shoulders slumping, he took out the schedule and glanced at the next class on the list.

_Ancient Greek_

Maybe he would be better at academics than athletics.

Maybe.

An hour later, his mind was whirling with the intricacies of the old language. Fortunately, it seemed that magic had a lot of use for Ancient Greek. His mind had supplied many of the meanings and their uses for spells.

Which reminded him, he had a magic training session with Lou Ellen. So excited was he that he did not look where he was going and ran straight into Nico di Angelo.

Helping the pale boy upright, he held up his hands in apology. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking!"

The son of Hades gave him a weak grin and shook his head. "No problem. Actually, I was looking for you."

Quinton raised his eyebrows. "What for?"

Smoothly reaching into his black aviators jacket, he puled out a photo. "I was wondering if this would spark any memories."

The photograph depicted a Grecian sword. Two words were scrawled in jagged script along the length of the blade.

_Stygian Iron, _his mind supplied for him. _Akin to Celestial bronze and Imperial Gold in its ability to slay monsters, it is mainly wielded by children of Hades. It can be used to absorb the essence of creatures and consume their energy. It is also excellent for using as a curse object._

He was left to ponder that information while he took the photo to study it closer.

_It is also the material that was used to curse me on the battlefield._

As Quinton squinted, he could make out the faint lettering on the blade.

It was his name.

"No, sorry, I don't remember it." the lie slipped off his tongue before he could stop it.

Nico nodded slowly and gave him that weak smile again. "No matter. I was just wondering." he held up his hand, skull rings flashing in the sunlight, when Quinton tried to give him the photograph back.

"Keep it. Maybe if you think about it, it'll ring a bell."

Quinton's eyes flew open as he watched Nico walk away. Had he said _bell_ on purpose? No, he couldn't have. Either way, Quinton had a class to get to that he wouldn't miss for the world.

**III**

As Nico walked away, he jammed his hands into his pocket. _Did the guy really not remember anything?_ Even though he'd seen the photograph, Quinton still couldn't remember anything about the curse.

Or did he?

Nico was a good liar, and he could spot a lie fairly easily, but he had seen nothing but innocence in the other boy's face.

The moment Nico had heard that the Prince of Magic (as they were now calling him) had returned, he had poured over countless tomes to locate the sword. If it landed in the wrong hands, it wouldn't matter if Quinton couldn't remember how to wield the power at his disposal. A simple order and the magic would jump to do the master's will.

Unfortunately, there had been no breaks in the search.

Perhaps people simply didn't trust Nico. That was probably the main reason for not finding anything.

Kicking viciously at a stone, he turned to watch Quinton enter Cabin 20. _Trust, such a fleeting sentiment._

**Sorry this one took a while to post. School got in the way and then I got my wisdom teeth removed. I know this chapter is rather short, but I can promise that the next one will be longer.**


End file.
